It’s important to avoid buying spaghetti squash that isn’t fully ripe. A spaghetti squash that isn’t ready will be extremely difficult to cut in half and won’t yield a nice, soft texture when cooked. Look for a squash that is a bright, solid yellow (not pale yellow or white in parts). Once the rind is penetrated with a knife, a ripe squash is fairly easy to cut in half. Also, be sure you have all the ingredients ready to go once the squash is cooked. You’ll want to toss everything together when the squash is still hot.

　　

Ingredients

4 servings

　　Olive oil spray

　　1 medium (2 1/2 to 3 pounds) spaghetti squash

　　1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

　　1 teaspoon light butter

　　2 to 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

　　1 tablespoon drained capers, or more to taste

　　1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

　　Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

　　

Microwave Instructions

Step 1

Carefully cut the squash in half lengthwise across the stem. Using a spoon, scrape out the seeds and the fibrous strings attached to them (be careful not to scrape too much, as the edible flesh of the squash scrapes out easily).

　　

Step 2

Pour 1/4 cup water into a microwave-safe dish and place the squash, cut sides up, in the dish. Cover the dish with a microwave-safe plate or tightly with microwave-safe plastic wrap, cutting a small slit in the plastic wrap to vent.

　　

Step 3

Cook on high for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the squash is cooked through and tender. Let it stand, covered, for 5 minutes.

　　

Step 4

Using a fork, carefully (the squash will be hot) remove the strands (flesh) of the squash into a medium glass or plastic serving bowl. Discard the rinds. Add the olive oil, butter, and lemon juice and gently mix the ingredients well to combine. Stir in the capers and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

　　

Oven Instructions

Step 5

Follow the microwave instructions, but instead of microwaving the scraped-out squash halves, bake them as follows: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Then line a medium baking sheet with foil and lightly mist it with spray. Place the halves, cut sides down, on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until tender enough that a knife can be easily inserted into the flesh, 40 to 45 minutes. Flip the halves over so the cut sides are up. Let them cool about 5 minutes.

　　

nutrition information

Step 6

Each (about 1-cup) serving has:

　　

Step 7

Calories: 86

　　

Step 8

Protein: 2g

　　

Step 9

Carbohydrates: 16g

　　

Step 10

Fat: 3g

　　

Step 11

Saturated Fat: <1g

　　

Step 12

Cholesterol: 1mg

　　

Step 13

Trace Fiber

　　

Step 14

Sodium: 110mg

　　Reprinted with permission from I Can't Believe It's Not Fattening! by Devin Alexander. Copyright © 2010 Devin Alexander. Published by Clarkson Potter Publishers, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.Devin Alexander is the author of The Most Decadent Diet Ever, Fast Food Fix, and coauthor of The New York Times bestsellers The Biggest Loser Cookbook and The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook. She was a chef on NBC's The Biggest Loser and the host of Healthy Decadence on Discover Health and FitTV.